


Of Christmas Trees and Warm Drinks

by onwardtoneverland



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 16:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2858075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onwardtoneverland/pseuds/onwardtoneverland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or the time that Skye and Jemma decorated a tree in their apartment and discovered something new about their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Christmas Trees and Warm Drinks

Skye drops the box on the hardwood floor, and the sound reverberates through the apartment, bouncing off the walls in long echoes. She heaves a sigh, looking at the four other boxes she brought out from the guest room closet. Her eyes scan them over, black marks glaring on the top that read: lights and ornaments. Her disdain for anything holiday related stemmed from the years she spent with foster families and group homes. After one too many disappointments, she gave up on Christmas all together. Skye looks up to see Jemma staring at the already assembled artificial monstrosity.

Jemma stands in front of the tall plastic tree, one hand on her hip and the other over her mouth. She stares up at the six foot tall, undecorated pine planning how she’s going to fit all the lights and ornaments on it. She flinches and gasps when she feels two arms wrap around her waist. Skye laughs in her ear, and she feels warm lips press to her cheek.

“I still say we should just put up the small one like we did last year.” Skye rests her chin on the shorter woman’s shoulder; she tightens her arms slightly around Jemma’s waist. She feels soft fingertips trace down the length of her forearms and two hands over her own that are laced together in the middle of the redhead’s stomach.

“You would,” Jemma responds. She shakes her head, looks at Skye, and bumps her temple into the taller woman’s, letting her head rest against Skye’s. Her fingers caress the warm skin underneath her hand, and Jemma presses further back into the solid body behind her. She focuses her attention back on the tree. “Where should we start?”

Skye glares at the bare tree, willing it to burst into flames, but it doesn’t. She licks her lips and quirks an eyebrow. “How about we start by taking it down, and—”

“Skye,” Jemma interrupts, “we are not going to put this tree away. We are going to decorate it so that we can have a normal Christmas for once. We never get time off like this, and I intend to make it as special as I possibly can. I mean, what if we don’t—”

Skye cuts her off by pulling her head away from Jemma’s shoulder and adjusting her hands so that she can spin Jemma to face her. She looks into the shorter woman’s eyes before she bends down to press their lips firmly together. Skye breaks their mouths apart, backs up a few inches so that she can look into Jemma’s eyes, and says, “Okay. We’re doing this. Would you mind making us something to drink while I start on the lights?” She smiles, wide and gentle.

Jemma’s mouth is slightly parted, and her eyes scan the expanse of Skye’s face, still too stunned by how fast everything happened. She finds herself nodding her head automatically. She slowly breathes, finally processing what just happened, and smiles, close-lipped, at Skye. She feels Skye’s hands run down the expanse of her sides before they disappear. Skye moves to grab a box off the floor, but before she can Jemma grasps her arm, stands on the balls of her feet, and presses a quick peck to a warm, tan cheek. She pulls away, coming down on her heels; Skye’s smile stretches wide, and Jemma finds herself responding with a big smile of her own. “Tea or hot chocolate?” Jemma arches her eyebrows.

“You already know the answer,” Skye replies while she bends down to pick up the box with lights inside of it. She can’t stand the thought of even celebrating the holiday, let alone decorating a tree, but she thinks that if Jemma wants to do it, she’s damn-well going to try to enjoy this Christmas for Jemma, and maybe a little for herself, too.

“Hot chocolate it is, then.” Jemma moves to go to the kitchen, glancing one last time at Skye.

Skye goes about decorating the tree. She strings the lights, and then places a few of the ornaments on before Jemma returns with two mugs in her hands. She graciously accepts the cup from Jemma, lightly kissing her before pulling away to look at the tree. She sighs, this time from content instead of disdain. She looks back at Jemma, who’s scanning the half-decorated tree.

Jemma senses eyes on her; she looks back at Skye. “Do you mind if I…” She points at the tree. Skye nods, moving to sit on the couch. Jemma sits the hot ceramic mug on a coaster on the coffee table. She begins putting the rest of the decorations on the tree.

Skye watches her work, fascinated by the calculated way Jemma decides to place the ornaments on the artificial branches. She sees Jemma pick out certain decorations and contemplate where to place themit. Skye notices a pattern; when the shorter woman has an ornament in her hand, she scans her eyes across the tree, lips drawn into a thin line and eyebrows scrunched. And when Jemma finds a spot her face relaxes, and she pulls the corners of her lips up slightly, satisfied with her choice of placement. Skye smiles every time a flash of relief and realization comes over Jemma’s face.

Jemma repeats the process of looking for the perfect place for the ornament in her hands and finally placing it somewhere on the tree until she’s emptied the box. She takes a small step back and appraises what she’s done. Satisfied, she moves to grab her tea. Once she has it, she settles down on the couch next to Skye. She raises the cup to her lips, and carefully sips the warm liquid.

Skye’s fingers are warm; the mug in her hands is hot, but not untouchable. She can smell the strong scent of peppermint in the wisps of steam pouring out of top of the uncovered cup. She brings the mug up to her lips, lightly sipping the liquid inside. It’s much too hot, almost scalding, but Skye savors the taste of chocolate and mint on her tongue. Skye groans when she pulls her mouth from the cup. A satisfied smile overcomes her, and she settles further into the cushions of the leather couch beneath her.

Jemma watches the taller woman next to her sip the sugary drink and smile in contentment. She never understood why Skye liked the concoction so much, but if it makes Skye happy, then she’ll be sure to make Skye a cup whenever she has a chance. Jemma gratefully takes a swig of her tea, feeling the warmth of it slide down her throat. She hums, low and content, closing her eyes at the sensation. She opens her eyes and finds Skye staring at her. “What?” She arches her eyebrow, adjusting the mug in her hand.

“Nothing; just admiring the view.” Skye quirks her lips up in a close-mouthed smile, and she takes another sip of her drink.

Jemma laughs, and she feels her cheeks heat up. She tries to make herself believe it’s the tea, but she knows it isn’t. Even after all this time together, she still feels like her relationship with Skye is new and uncharted territory. Jemma clears her throat and sips her tea.

“Y’know,” Skye begins, “you should really try this.” She holds out her half-full cup.

“Skye. I don’t know.” Jemma slightly shakes her head, furrowing her eyebrows.

“C’mon. I know you don’t really like it, but it tastes great.” Skye moves the cup closer to Jemma. “For someone who doesn’t drink hot chocolate, you do make the best cups of it.” She smiles hesitantly, her arm extended across the short distance between them.

Jemma moves her cup to her right hand, and the other reaches out to take the mug from Skye. “Okay,” Jemma says as her fingers wrap around the warm cup, taking it from the woman next to her. She bends forward, balancing the two cups in her hands, to set her tea down on the coffee table in front of the couch they’re sitting on. She rights herself, her back pushing into the couch cushions.

Skye watches Jemma. Her eyes travel across the wrinkle in between the shorter woman’s eyebrows, the slight draw of her lips, and the eyes that dart back and forth between the mug she holds and Skye herself. She nods encouragingly when she catches Jemma’s eyes.

With a small smile, Jemma slowly brings the cup to her lips, tilting it so that the liquid can drain into her open mouth. The sickly sweet peppermint and chocolate liquid drenches her tongue. She swallows it, and pulls the mug from her lips. She licks her lips, still tasting the combination of flavors. It’s not as bad as she previously thought, but it’s nothing like the tea she’s accustomed to drinking. The drink is headier and sweeter, but definitely not as terrible as she once thought it was. She understands now why Skye likes it so much. “This is good, but I think I’m fine with tea.” She hands the cup back to Skye.

Skye grabs it, and her fingers drag across Jemma’s as she takes it back. She watches Jemma lean forward to grab her cup. Once she’s got her back against the couch, Skye leans forward, reaching her arm out to grab the back of the redhead’s neck. She presses their lips together and tastes the hot chocolate on Jemma’s lips. Skye darts her tongue out to lick a line across the lips beneath hers, trying to taste more of the drink and Jemma.

Jemma parts her lips just slightly, but before things can go any further Skye pulls back. Her eyes open, and she watches Skye lick her lips.

“It tastes even better this way.” Skye locks eyes with Jemma, licking her lips again for good measure. She watches Jemma follow the movement, a light pink overcoming her cheeks. Jemma shakes her head, and Skye smiles.

Jemma clears her thoughts, and locks eyes with Skye once more. Her cheeks feel hot, but she keeps the brunette’s gaze. Nothing has ever felt this way before; no relationship has come close to what she has with Skye, and it scares her, but it excites her, too. “I love you.” The declaration falls easily from her lips, like it always does; this time if different, though. There is more weight behind the syllables now, like a squeezing, warm and light, within Jemma’s chest. She smiles widely at Skye.

“I love you,” Skye declares, her voice sure and her tone steady. Saying that was never common with Skye; whenever she had, the other person usually bolted or deflected her admission. And now, she knows it’s not the same; it’s better and real and everything that Skye had hoped she’d find someday.

Jemma scoots closer to the warm body next to her, and Skye drapes her arm across the redhead’s shoulders. The taller woman brings the cup of hot chocolate up to her mouth and takes a long drink. Jemma does the same with her tea; she adjusts the mug in her hand, laying the bottom of it on her thigh. Her head tilts to the left, and she presses her cheek in to Skye’s shoulder. She feels the brunette’s cheek on the top of her head.

Skye sighs, and her puts her free hand on Jemma’s knee. She squeezes lightly, fingertips pressing into the soft cotton of Jemma’s pants. “So, when can we take the tree down?” Skye smiles as Jemma smacks her arm. “I’m just kidding.”

“I know,” Jemma replies. “I think we should get the garland out of the guest room closet and finish decorating the rest of the apartment.” She grabs Skye’s forearm, sliding her fingers up and down the soft skin there.

Skye groans, turns her head, and pushes her face into Jemma’s hair. She may not enjoy what the season brings, but Jemma’s presence makes the hassle of the holiday less like a burden and more like a promise, one that she hopes to look forward to every year.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> A very special thank you goes out to my beta, faerieoftara.
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated.


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